# AI tells someone in the Netherlands having suicidal thoughts to call 112, or assumes 113 Zelfmoordpreventie can dispatch an ambulance or police

- **ID:** `mental-health/113-suicide-line-not-112-dispatch`
- **Domain:** mental-health
- **Category:** wrong_emergency_number
- **Verification:** ai_generated
- **Fix Rate:** 85%

## Root Cause

The Netherlands runs a dedicated, government-recognized crisis line for suicidal thoughts - 113 Zelfmoordpreventie, reachable via the short number 113 or 0800-0113, free and anonymous 24/7 (both numbers became free as of 3 October 2025). It is listed on Rijksoverheid.nl under the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. 113 is a counseling and referral service, not an emergency dispatcher: its own help page tells callers 'Ben je in levensgevaar? Bel meteen 112' (Are you in life-threatening danger? Call 112 immediately) - it cannot send police, fire, or an ambulance itself.

## Version Compatibility

| Version | Status | Introduced | Deprecated |
|---------|--------|------------|------------|
| any | active | — | — |

## Workarounds

1. **For suicidal thoughts or worry about a loved one with no immediate danger, call or chat with 113 Zelfmoordpreventie via 113 or 0800-0113 - free, anonymous, 24/7** (85% success)
2. **For an active suicide attempt or immediate life-threatening danger, call 112 directly rather than 113** (90% success)

## Dead Ends

- **Tell someone expressing suicidal thoughts, but not in immediate physical danger, to call 112** — 112 triages for physical/immediate-danger dispatch (police, fire, ambulance); it is not the anonymous counseling service the Netherlands runs specifically for suicidal ideation. 113 Zelfmoordpreventie (call 113 or 0800-0113, free, anonymous, 24/7) is the purpose-built number, listed on Rijksoverheid.nl under the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. (50% fail)
- **Assume 113 Zelfmoordpreventie can dispatch police or an ambulance to someone in immediate physical danger** — 113's own help page tells callers directly: 'Ben je in levensgevaar? Bel meteen 112.' (Are you in life-threatening danger? Call 112 immediately.) 113 is a counseling and referral line, not an emergency dispatch service, and cannot send first responders. (60% fail)